What is “BlackFriday” and “CyberMonday”?

Black Friday is a bit like a retail version of the Hunger Games, it turns retail shopkeeper’s balance sheets from red (loss) to black (profit). It’s an informal name for the day following Thanksgiving in the United States of America which falls every fourth Thursday of November. This year, the event falls on Friday, November 24 (TODAY).

In U.K the term “Black Friday” is the day when emergency services activate contingency plans to cope with the increase in workload due to many people going out drinking on the last Friday before Christmas. But Nowadays it all about shopping.. shopping.. and just shopping.

Black Friday is a shopping day for a combination of reasons. As the first day after the last major holiday before Christmas, it marks the unofficial beginning of the Christmas shopping season. Additionally, many employers in the US give their employees the day off as part of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. In order to take advantage of this, virtually all retailers in the country, big and small, offer various sales including limited amounts of door-busting items to entice customers new and old.

Cyber Monday… Probably the only time of the year people look forward to Monday mornings! Just like the now infamous Black Friday Events across the globe, “Cyber Monday” to has become an international marketing term used by online retailers across the world. It’s quickly becoming one of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year. This year, the event falls on Monday, November 27.

Online retailers have stated in the past that their sales increased substantially on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a trend that is driving serious online discounts and promotions on Cyber Monday this year. UK online retailers are now referring to “Cyber Monday” as the busiest internet shopping day of the year that commonly falls on the same day as the US Cyber Monday.

Top 10 “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” 2017 Stores:

Walmart

Amazon

Sam’s club

Target

Kohl’s

Best Buy

Toys R Us

HP

American Eagle (AEO)

Macy’s

How to get the best discounts?

Prepare tonight

Stack your vouchers

Shop early in the day

Watch out for doorbusters

Start early.

Do your research.

Compare prices.

Create a budget—and stick to it.

Avoid pricey accessories.

Check all store policies in advance.

Don’t just focus on Friday.

NOT to Buy on Black Friday!

The days surrounding Thanksgiving offer up a seemingly endless smorgasbord of deals. But not every Black Friday offer is truly worthy of your cash. To help you sort the doorbusters from the filler deals, here is a list of things you should skip this Black Friday.

iPhones

Fitness Equipment

Tools

Jewelry: Wait until January to make your jewellery purchase, and get a head start on Valentine’s Day.

1080p TVs

Black Friday Models

Final Sale Items

Gift Cards

Winter Clothing

Holiday Decorations

Tips to Do a Safe Online Shopping

Check the seller’s customer satisfaction ratings.

Check the Better Business Bureau site to see if there are a large number of complaints about the seller.

Whenever possible, use a credit card for payment.

Never enter your credit card information on a page that is not encrypted.

Go directly to the seller’s site rather than clicking a “coupon” link that was sent to you from an unknown source.